Grandpa’s Toolbox

Twenty-year-old university student Chen Su is a textbook case of a young man adrift. Lazy and listless, he spends his days consumed by anxiety about the future, yet refuses to take a step toward change. He is so utterly ordinary that he barely seems to exist. His grandfather's grave illness and death completely upend his aimless life. As he sorts through his grandfather's belongings on the night he keeps vigil, the words in an old notebook strike him to the core: "What is it that a person truly wants out of life?" His grandfather had lived a quiet, diligent life. He had served in the military and worked as a laborer, then spent half his life doing household chores and providing for his family. He never questioned life's meaning, yet lived steadily and contentedly. By contrast, Chen Su has never wanted for anything, but all he does is worry and daydream, letting his time go to waste. To find an answer, Chen Su puts off returning to school and sets out on a journey. Along the way, he meets ordinary people who take life seriously: an old farmer who treasures the seasons and works the land diligently; a watch repairman devoted to his craft, bringing warmth to others; a couple who earn their living running a breakfast stall and work hard day after day; night-shift drivers and craftspeople with disabilities, all calmly holding fast to the lives they have chosen. He sees successful people who look glamorous but are hollow inside, and meets people his own age who devote themselves to learning a craft and take life at a slower pace. Little by little, the restlessness inside him fades. Back at the old house, he sees his grandfather's toolbox, wrapped in layers of tape, and the notebook where he recorded all the little ways he had helped others. At last, Chen Su understands. His grandfather never sought some grand purpose in life. He simply wanted to mend things, look after his family, and live in peace. It turns out that life doesn't require us to go searching for an answer. Doing our work with care and living earnestly is the best answer of all.